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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
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Even the best-planned cities have a few hidden alleys.

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CZS ZEST Cohort 2025

Smart Growth America, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is proud to announce the inaugural cohort for our new national technical assistance program: Zoning for Equitable Solutions and Thriving Communities (ZEST). ZEST marks a pivotal step in our work to dismantle the structural inequities embedded in land-use policy. Through this program, we’re building a national network of community-based organizations focused on zoning reform for health equity, helping create healthy and prosperous communities across the country. 
Why focus on zoning reform to improve health equity? Health inequities didn’t appear out of thin air; they’re a <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/health-equity-and-the-built-environment/">direct result of zoning codes</a> that have dictated who gets to live where, who has access to healthy food, who has access to safe and affordable housing, and even a <a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/interactives/whereyouliveaffectshowlongyoulive.html">person’s life expectancy</a>. This is especially true for vulnerable groups like children, older adults, and communities of color. Because zoning codes are implemented at the local level, and many health inequities are a direct result of the restrictions that zoning places on communities, we believe community-based organizations are well-positioned to drive meaningful changes that can benefit their communities now.
To move the needle on health equity, we’re launching the ZEST technical assistance program, a national network of community-based organizations, and equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and technical support needed to drive zoning reform and create healthier, more prosperous communities. Many of these organizations are already leading the charge to improve health equity, we’re providing them with the zoning lens and tools to connect the dots and shift outcomes.
<h3>Program goals</h3>
ZEST empowers community-based organizations to tackle health inequities by providing education and capacity-building support to reform local land-use policies and strengthen community health. In addition to receiving education materials and conducting policy analysis, examples of the types of projects for this program include:
<ul>
<li>Expanding access to fresh, healthy food in underserved neighborhoods by supporting zoning changes that allow for local grocery stores, community gardens, and corner markets.</li>
<li>Developing a practical advocacy guide to help community members push for zoning policies that promote health, such as adopting “complete streets” policies and organizing events to showcase the benefits of walkable, bike-friendly spaces.</li>
<li>Working to change zoning laws so that everyone has access to affordable and suitable housing.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-106603" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CZS-ZEST-Cohort-2025.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
<h3>The ZEST Technical Assistance Model</h3>
Recognizing that communities vary in readiness and capacity, we have organized the ZEST cohort into groups based on shared missions, focus areas, and zoning reform goals. 
The first cohort of seven organizations will receive in-depth technical support and strategic guidance to advance their active zoning reform and healthy equity efforts. The first cohort will receive tailored work plans, hands-on implementation support, and funding to attend our national convening on zoning and health equity dedicated to shared learning and collaboration. 
The list of organizations in the first cohort includes:
<ul>
<li>Elevated Chicago, Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Chesterfield, VA</li>
<li>Houston Land Bank, Houston, TX</li>
<li>IMPACT Community Action, Columbus, OH</li>
<li>Metropolitan United Methodist Church, Montgomery, AL</li>
<li>Partnership for Smarter Growth, Chesterfield, VA</li>
<li>Requity Foundation, Baltimore, MD</li>
</ul>
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To round out the ZEST program, twelve additional organizations will receive lighter-touch technical assistance, resources, and support as they begin their journey into the zoning reform and health equity. The second cohort will benefit from educational tools tailored to groups new to the intersection of land use and health, along with virtual learning opportunities,  dedicated office hours, curated resources, and an invitation to the national convening. 
The list of organizations in the second cohort includes:
<ul>
<li>Blue Zones Project Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL</li>
<li>Connections for the Homeless, Evanston, IL</li>
<li>Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, Dallas, TX</li>
<li>Freedom Org, Tarboro, NC</li>
<li>Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah), Salt Lake City, UT</li>
<li>Local Initiatives Support Corporation &#8211; Puget Sound, Puget Sound, WA</li>
<li>Organized Uplifting Resources &amp; Strategies, South Carolina</li>
<li>SAJE, Los Angeles, CA</li>
<li>The Clean Air Coalition of WNY, Buffalo, NY</li>
<li>The Rooted East Knoxville Collective, Knoxville, TN</li>
<li>Verde, Portland, OR</li>
<li>Women’s Resource Center, Newport, RI</li>
</ul>
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All participating organizations will be invited to a national convening in Baltimore, MD, to share lessons, build momentum, and strengthen the growing movement for equitable zoning.
Zoning is more than a land use issue—it’s a public health issue. By rewriting the rules that shape where we live, what we build, and who benefits, ZEST is working to address long-standing inequities and support communities to create healthier, more prosperous, and more resilient places for everyone.
This isn’t just about changing policies on paper. It’s about building a coordinated, community-led movement to dismantle exclusionary zoning and advance justice, equity, and well-being from the ground up.

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Announcing the Zoning for Equitable Solutions and Thriving Communities (ZEST) TA cohort 

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With generous support from the Gates Foundation, Smart Growth America (SGA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) launched and completed the second cohort of the Counties for Housing Solutions (C4HS) initiative, continuing our commitment to helping counties spur economic development through actionable, locally-driven housing strategies.
Over the course of 13 weeks, a cohort of elected officials, planners, and stakeholders from eight counties—Baltimore City/County, MD, Grafton County. NH, Cheshire County, NH, Chesterfield County, NH, Sullivan County, VA, Genesee County, MI, Honolulu City/County, HI, Mecklenburg County, NC, and Pierce County, WA—collaborated to create implementable affordable housing development plans in their communities.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-106592" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Housing affordability is an issue that is top of mind for most Americans. In recent months, solutions that can lower housing costs and increase the supply of permanently affordable housing stock<a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/permanently-affordable-housing-has-support-both-republican-and-democratic-voters"> have received bipartisan support.</a> As local governments look to drive economic mobility in their communities, housing production offers a means to make progress for residents and local fiscal objectives. Housing construction has a positive ripple effect in communities—it <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/Housing-is-Critical-Infrastructure-Social-and-Economic-Benefits-of-Building-More-Housing-6-15-2021.pdf">creates new employment opportunities, provides new tax revenue for local governments, and increases consumer spending in local businesses.</a>
Through a mix of expert-led sessions, peer exchange, and hands-on technical support in both pre-development and development stages, cohort members explored how to repurpose vacant or underutilized county-owned land to meet urgent housing needs while also unlocking economic development wins. 
Sprint #2 provided a blend of educational sessions, one-on-one office hours, and collaborative peer learning opportunities. To walk teams through the housing development process, the program touched upon the following topics:
&#8211;Finding your land: Selecting the perfect site for housing development. 
-Development barriers: Determining if zoning is preventing your community from developing housing and how to eliminate zoning barriers. 
-Building support: Understanding the importance of creating a community engagement strategy to overcome potential opposition to sorely needed housing for all. 
-Funding and resources: Paying for affordable housing projects without mortgaging the future of their community. 
-Finding the right partners: Finding and selecting the right developer for the right housing project on county-owned land. 
-Measuring results: Evaluating project results to ensure success. 
-Make a lasting impact: Scaling and leveraging a development project to gain a return on investment.
With support from subject matter experts and cross collaboration opportunities, the cohort developed a variety of mixed-use developments and housing typologies while also addressing significant social and economic barriers presented in their respective county (aging in place, affordability, and vacancy to name a few). Additionally, all teams focused on developing affordable housing on county-owned land, leveraging cost savings from land acquisition to enhance unit affordability. Each project also emphasized the importance of integrating community into the development process—honoring local history and identity—while positioning housing as a catalyst for broader economic development. At the conclusion of the program, each county emerged with a tailored, ready-to-implement affordable housing strategy designed to reflect their community’s unique needs and opportunities.Below is a recap on each counties’ initiative: 
&#8211;Baltimore City/County, MD: This team identified a site in a food and health desert located 5 miles from Johns Hopkins University. They proposed a redevelopment of the site into a mixed income, mixed used project focused on luxury affordable and market rate housing with retail and community amenities on the ground floor. Units will be available at the 30-80 percent AMI income ranges. 
&#8211;New Hampshire Coalition of Counties: A group of three neighboring counties facing similar challenges joined forces as a coalition to participate in the cohort together. Their goal was to leverage shared experiences to support one another in actively advancing affordable housing across the region. 
1.Grafton County: Drafted a plan to develop tiny houses across 10 acres, with a focus on workforce housing as a recruitment tool. 
2. Sullivan County: Drafted a plan to develop a mix of tiny houses and single family homes across five acres. 
&#8211;Chesterfield County, VA: Their project centered on rezoning a parcel of land to enable both affordability and the development of desired housing types (multifamily, affordable, and diverse housing typologies). The plan includes constructing 25–30 single-family detached homes arranged around a central multifamily building. Several of the single-family homes are designated as LIHTC-funded units specifically for seniors. 
&#8211;Genesee County, MI: This team focused on deploying 56 single family units on a 16 acre site. 
&#8211;Honolulu County, HI: This team developed a plan to develop three residential high rise towers with up to a 522 units on a parcel located downtown in a transit-oriented development district 
&#8211;Mecklenburg County, NC: This project was about repurposing a historic school property into a mixed income project of up to 80 Affordable townhome units at 60-80 percent AMI while honoring the historic nature of the project. There is a potential to include a senior condos and community amenities such as a community center as part of the project. 
&#8211;Pierce County WA: This team drafted a plan to develop up to 28 affordable homeownership units on a four acre site.
If fully realized, these projects will result in the development of hundreds of housing units—spanning a range of income levels and housing types—successfully deployed across the country with support from the program.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] Applications for our Fall 2025 Counties for Housing Solutions initiative are now open! Applications are due by Friday, August 1, 11:59 p.m. ET. Apply <a href="https://naco.sharefile.com/d-s8da51200b379464e86adce94c7d0411b">here</a>. [/alert]

Housing Affordability

Housing and Development

Unlocking economic development in counties across America

Economic development

Land Use and Development

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Communities across the U.S. are facing unprecedented challenges to meet the mobility, housing, and social needs of their residents, often struggling to do so with limited funding, staffing, and government support. Local elected officials serve not only to help navigate these challenges but to champion their community’s vision of a more healthy, prosperous, and resilient future. Smart Growth America works with these champions to find solutions to communities’ most pressing needs.
Smart Growth America recently wrapped up its <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/celebrating-the-2025-complete-streets-champions-institute-cohort/">2025 Champions Institute</a>. For over three months, I had the privilege to work with 14 local elected officials to develop their skills and knowledge around Complete Streets. These individuals, each busy with the responsibilities of their office—and for many, day jobs as well—showed up to actively participate in virtual sessions by sharing their experiences, cheering on their peers, and being open to learning from national experts on new strategies to implement in their communities. One thing quickly became clear to me—as communities face increasingly compounding challenges in transportation, housing, civic and social engagement, and more, these local elected officials are serving as stalwart champions for the overall future of the places they call home and the neighbors they represent.  
<h3>Now is the time to step up</h3>
Mayors, city council members, and other elected officials can leave their mark on a community in a myriad of ways. From the policies they enact to the projects they fund, these individuals bear a huge responsibility in determining their communities future. But they also have the ability to shape the places they lead in less tangible ways. They often serve as ambassadors of their community to state and federal government, provide encouragement and guidance to city staff, and act as important allies to advocates on a wide range of issues.  As chaos and uncertainty reigns over funding, policies, and priorities at the federal level, these local leaders can offer some level of continuity and provide steadfast direction for local efforts. 
<h3>Complete Streets need local leadership</h3>
Like so many issues facing communities, Complete Streets and transportation need strong, local leadership. There are a variety of ways we see elected officials standing with and standing for safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable ways to travel through their communities:
-Highlighting necessary changes and bringing swift action. Elected officials can lend their voice and their position to the lived experience of those they represent. This can look like taking part in <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/improving-transportation-and-road-safety-for-all-in-monroe-la/">walk audits</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/nyregion/bike-bus-cycling.html">joining bike buses,</a> or <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/week-without-driving-has-arrived-heres-why-it-matters/">regularly using non-motorized transportation for their own daily lives</a>. Armed with these firsthand experiences and community connections, they can call for and implement the changes that need to happen to make sure people walking, biking, and taking transit have the systems they need to make it safe and convenient.
-Challenging outdated norms at the state and federal level. State and federal policies can at times be in conflict with strategies a community knows are needed. Local elected officials can work with state legislative partners to push back on <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/roadblocks-to-safety-how-state-preemption-puts-pedestrians-at-risk/">unnecessary preemption</a> or find opportunities to collaborate on joint projects. Showing up in Washington, DC to share their experiences can unlock important policy or funding decisions.
-Finding opportunities for progress. It’s easy to keep doing things the way they have always been done. A local elected official can be a catalyst for doing things differently, whether it’s signing a <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/nashville-tn-building-on-the-foundation/">strong Complete Streets policy</a> or challenging existing practices around quick-build demonstrations. That momentum and energy gives a boost to advocates and city staff who might otherwise feel on their own.
<h3>Recognizing and supporting local champions</h3>
Local leaders are in a position to see the real-life consequences of outdated transportation systems—which means they can be the first to act. As pedestrian fatalities rise and communities across the country call for safer, healthier ways to get around, the role of local government in driving transportation reform has never been more critical. Smart Growth America is proud to stand with these changemakers, offering tools, training, and a national network of support. In a challenging political climate, the path forward demands courage, collaboration, and persistence—and that’s exactly what we see in communities leading the way. There’s not just an opportunity to keep advancing this work—there’s an urgent need to do so.
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Local champions are what drives the change we need in our communities

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What began as a pilot project on a busy corridor in Boca Raton has grown into a citywide commitment to Complete Streets, led by community advocates and championed by Vice Mayor Fran Nachlas. With a strong policy framework, visible early wins, and a focus on data, Boca Raton is showing what it looks like when a city decides to design their streets for people first.
<h3>Background</h3>
Located on Florida’s southeast coast, Boca Raton is home to around 100,000 residents and is known for its sunny beaches and palm-lined streets. As Boca Raton grew over the decades, wide arterials, sprawling development, and narrow sidewalks were the norm. The end result is streets prioritized for vehicles, with little accommodation for non-drivers, increasing safety concerns for all road users.
This design has taken a toll. <a href="https://hdp-us-prod-app-kh-spp-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/8317/2979/7327/24-10-24_public_kickoff_meeting_presentation.pdf">Boca Raton’s rate of serious injury and fatal crashes</a> are 13 percent higher than the state average and 53 percent higher than Palm Beach County’s. More than 87 percent of the most severe crashes happened on fast-moving arterial roads. In 2021, pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for <a href="https://www.makeroadssafe.org/boca-raton-road-safety-overview/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">14 percent of all traffic fatalities.</a> These numbers told a story—roads in Boca Raton aren’t safe, especially for those outside of cars.
The community wanted to change that narrative. In 2020, city staff and elected officials started exploring Complete Streets to help them prioritize safe, convenient transportation for all people, regardless of how they get around. After years of planning and surveys, the city council unanimously <a href="https://www.myboca.us/2435/Complete-Streets#:~:text=Complete%20Streets%20is%20a%20universal,of%20all%20ages%20and%20abilities.">adopted a Complete Streets policy</a> in November 2023, establishing a commitment to road design that puts safety first. 
<h3>A leader in action</h3>
This effort was championed in part by Vice-Mayor Fran Nachlas, long-time Boca Raton resident and recent Smart Growth America Complete Streets Champion Institute participant. As a nurse and athlete, Nachlas is especially committed to making life safer and healthier for members of her community, and has been a critical advocate for safer streets. Vice Mayor Nachlas works to inspire Complete Streets change locally as a Transportation Planning Agency Representative on the Boca Raton City Council and on a county level as a member of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency’s (TPA) board. 
Nachas appreciates the need to experience streets the way residents of Boca Raton do. Nachlas recently biked the entire 84-mile city bike map network to deepen her understanding of the safety issues Boca Raton is facing and bring light to gaps, barriers, and opportunities for improvement. Similar to walk audits, these bike rides gave Nachlas firsthand experience that not only deepened her appreciation for the  lived experience of her community, but inspired ways to make a change. 
<h3>The Champions Institute</h3>
Through her role on city council, Nachlas spearheaded the development of Boca Raton’s 2023 Complete Streets policy. Since then, Boca Raton has received a number of grants can be used to implement safe and Complete Streets. Nachlas seized the opportunity to further advance her efforts towards building a safer, healthier community for Boca Raton residents, landing her a spot in the most recent <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/meet-the-2025-champions-institute-cohort/">Smart Growth America Champions Institute</a>, a program that supports elected officials who want to adopt and implement Complete Streets.
Through the program, she has planned a project that will focus on engaging community members. The project will feature a citywide event with the goal of providing education while gathering community perspectives. Specifically, the event will aim to increase public awareness of bike and scooter rules, identify potential locations for quick-build safety projects, and begin building a coalition that includes city staff, Florida Department of Transportation officials, bike advocates, schools, and neighborhood groups. She also collaborated with her colleagues on the TPA to pass a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/active-people-healthy-nation/php/about/index.html">CDC Active People, Healthy Nation Proclamation</a>, signifying a strong commitment to promoting health and connectivity by creating communities where people can safely and easily walk, bike, and use other forms of active transportation.
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“As an elected official, resident, parent, and grandparent, I know I must advocate for the design and building of streets that prioritize people, are safe, and support the Complete Streets ideology. I&#8217;m honored to play a vital role in supporting these goals, identifying the local needs of our community, and advancing policies to build activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations in my city.” Vice Mayor Fran Nachlas | Boca Raton, FL
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In April 2025, Vice Mayor Nachlas announced that she would be running for Mayor of Boca Raton in their upcoming 2026 election. Nachlas has said that if elected, she wants to use creative yet practical strategies like Complete Streets to bring her community visible, tangible benefits. 
<h3>A positive path forward</h3>
Boca Raton’s Complete Streets policy provides a foundation that will allow the city to continue fostering improved community engagement, increased project implementation, and opportunities to address outdated practices to further increase access to walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation. Their Complete Streets policy also includes specific language that requires assessment and evaluation of potential walking, biking, and transit improvements every time a road is resurfaced, reconstructed, or newly built. To strengthen their ability to implement Complete Streets, staff are working on a bicycle and pedestrian master plan and a new scoring tool to help them prioritize what projects are needed and where—with special consideration for historically underserved neighborhoods that have been most impacted by the unsafe infrastructure.
Boca Raton has already seen tangible change inspired by the vision established in the US-1 project proposal and the Complete Streets policy. The city has installed 1,400 new lighting fixtures in and around downtown, added a new crosswalk to El Rio Trail, as well as pedestrian crossings to Palmetto Park. These projects are small steps, but they are evidence of the bigger picture: Boca Raton is prioritizing the creation of spaces that serve everyone.
Like many communities, Boca Raton still faces challenges. Staff capacity, funding constraints, and the need to balance redevelopment priorities will all shape the city’s ability to implement its Complete Streets vision. But with a strong policy in place and local leadership exemplified by Vice-Mayor Nachlas, Boca Raton has an opportunity to become a safer, healthier place for all.

Champions Institute

Designing streets for people in Boca Raton, Florida

Transportation

Over the course of its 25 years, the National Complete Streets Coalition has continued to evolve to meet the needs of the ever-growing movement. This has resulted in new resources, new sectors engaged, new topics tackled, and even <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/introducing-brand-new-grading-framework-complete-streets-policies/">changes to our own policy framework in 2018</a>. Through all of it, our commitment to the adoption and implementation of a Complete Streets approach has never wavered. As leaders of the Complete Streets movement, it’s important to be clear about what counts as Complete Streets and what fails to live up to that title. 
Smart Growth America’s<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/"> Best Complete Streets Policies 2025 report </a>celebrates the communities taking bold, thoughtful steps to make streets safer and more welcoming for all users—no matter their age, income, ability, or mode of transportation. This bi-annual report scores newly adopted Complete Streets policies from 2023 and 2024 using the National Complete Streets Coalition’s 100-point framework. In addition to identifying top-scoring policies, the report also lifts up community stories—from large cities to small towns—that demonstrate how strong collaboration, public health priorities, and continual improvement can result in meaningful policy change. Here’s a sneak peek at what we have in the works for the next Best Complete Streets Policies report and how we’re going to be increasingly vocal about what is—and isn’t—Complete Streets. 
<h3>Scoring Complete Streets policies need to reflect the growth of the Complete Streets movement </h3>
When the policy framework <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/a-decade-into-the-movement-complete-streets-needed-a-complete-overhaul/">was revised in 2018</a>, an increased emphasis was put on implementation, equity, and community engagement. These were areas that the National Complete Streets Coalition recognized as essential to the success of Complete Streets but that were not adequately reflected in the previous framework. As communities continue to face new and persistent challenges in transportation and intersecting issues, strong Complete Streets policies need to meet the moment to provide accountability, implementation, and measurable progress. The National Complete Streets Coalition will shortly kick off a process to critically examine the current framework and identify ways to strengthen its standards even further. 
<h3>A Complete Streets policy is the first step</h3>
Complete Streets is not an individual policy or project, but a change in the approach to transportation. Even the strongest Complete Streets policies won’t achieve their goals if they are not met with the funding, staff, and time to change processes and redesign streets. You don’t get to claim to have a Complete Streets policy if you’re not willing to do the work on Complete Streets. Admittedly, the National Complete Streets Coalition does not have the resources to track every single one of the 1,800 policies in its <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/atlasmap.png">atlas</a>. The National Complete Streets Coalition will also begin the development of a framework to score Complete Streets implementation so community members and policymakers can do just that.
<figure id="attachment_106335" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-106335" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-106335 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-1024x732.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="732" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-300x214.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-768x549.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC06356-2048x1463.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-106335" class="wp-caption-text">Officials in Howard County, Maryland (the strongest Complete Streets policy in our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/howard-county-md-a-collaborative-effort-to-create-complete-streets/">2023 report</a>) inspect a quick-build demonstration project.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Not all policies deserve to carry the name of Complete Streets</h3>
Over the years, there have been policies that have barely made it on the board in terms of the number of points awarded. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including a lack of knowledge of Complete Streets, failing to find a strong champion, caving to political pressures, or trying to check a box to be eligible for funding or preference.  Regardless, our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/elements-complete-streets-policy/">policy scoring framework</a> exists for a reason. Each element is critical to creating a policy that will lead to the changes needed to create communities where everyone can be safe and healthy. Policies that don’t meet the bare minimum of these elements don’t deserve the title “Complete Streets.” Beginning with the next report, Smart Growth America will only list policies that score above 60 points and investigate why state policies—which could potentially have a huge impact on some of our most dangerous roadways—consistently score low. 
Twenty-five years ago, we set out to define the meaning of Complete Streets. Over the years, we have seen countless real-world examples of what the Complete Streets approach looks like and what it doesn’t. It’s not watered-down policies that lead to zero change on the ground. It’s not a haphazard selection of projects or projects that tack on biking and walking as an afterthought. It’s not those places that put themselves on the back and consider the work done, as outdated legislation fails ever-changing communities. A true Complete Streets approach means doing the hard work, right now, to adopt new policies, implement new processes, track their progress, and, most importantly, find every opportunity available to change the design of our streets. 
As the National Complete Streets Coalition, we are committed to continuing to evolve our standards so Complete Streets policies can meet the needs of American communities based on real-world conditions and issues they are facing. Our goals are more and stronger policies that lead to better outcomes for everyone.

The best is yet to come: Evolving Complete Streets framework to meet the moment

paul-hanaoka-housing-california-redondo beach-unsplash

On Thursday, June 26th, LOCUS and Smart Growth America hosted the second webinar in the “Building the Stack” series. This series of conversations with real estate developers and community partners focuses on demystifying how to finance and build high interest projects. This recent webinar focused on approaches to building small scale and missing middle housing and featured four speakers from across the country.
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From missing starter homes for young families to a dearth of homes available for seniors hoping to downsize but stay in their communities, the impacts of so-called “missing middle housing” are being felt throughout the country. The Building the Stack series is designed to dig into the challenges with developing key project types, like missing middle, by allowing attendees to explore real case studies with a variety of stakeholders who are developing the projects, providing the financing, or steering development in their communities. This webinar featured four experts who are leading the way in infill development, sustainable housing, and community-based planning solutions in their respective communities. Jim Heid, Founder of UrbanGreen and CRAFT DnA, defined missing middle housing, spoke to the challenges developing at a small scale, and talked through the innovative and flexible approach that was needed to get one dense, missing middle style project completed. Shannon Morgan, President and Co-Founder of Renovare Development and a missing middle housing developer from Michigan, highlighted specific high-impact projects in Michigan and how they were financed while Greg Minott, Managing Principal at DREAM Collaborative, spoke to examples in the Boston area. Jennifer Settle, Senior Associate at Opticos Design, rounded out the conversation with a discussion of the barriers to missing middle housing, including zoning, a development ecosystem less used to creating these types of units, and community opposition.
<h3>Key takeaways</h3>
Throughout the webinar, a number of key takeaways emerged:
1. Missing middle and small scale projects require creativity to complete. Jim Heid discussed a project where a creative approach to parking requirements allowed for an innovative design that ultimately brought development costs down. Shannon Morgan discussed intricate capital stacks that included new funding sources from the State of Michigan explicitly intended to support missing middle housing.
2. Missing middle and small scale projects require collaboration to complete. Multiple speakers noted the need for local government officials to think of themselves, and act as, collaborators on projects. Greg Minott described a 74 unit mixed income project in the Boston area that was made possible by a partnership with the city where the property was provided for only $1. Shannon Morgan noted a major project that was developed on a public parcel and another project that was anchored by a collaboration with a local Habitat for Humanity branch.
3. Examples and model projects exist across the country in communities of all sizes. Speakers highlighted missing middle projects from across the country, including in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Roxbury, Massachusetts, and Healdsburg, California.  
4. The rules of play—zoning, code, etc.—directly shape what is built in a given community and they can be altered to better support the development of missing middle and small scale projects. 
<h3>Don’t miss the next installment!</h3>
On Thursday, July 24th, join us for a conversation on innovative approaches to housing development. Alternative approaches in financing or project development can be slow to move from one community to another. This conversation will feature leaders championing new models for funding and constructing smart growth-aligned housing types such as co-ops and affordable housing.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xwi-kvzQTzueWUkE293K0g&#8221;]Learn more and register here! [/button]
<h3>Consider joining LOCUS</h3>
Are you a purpose-driven developer or investor? Consider joining Smart Growth America’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/">LOCUS coalition</a>! LOCUS, latin for ‘place’, is a national coalition of real estate developers and investors who advocate for smart growth at the federal level, with occasional work at the state and local levels. LOCUS brings together real estate developers and investors from across the country to change policy and to build neighborhoods that are more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable for America’s future. LOCUS is driven by the vision of a country in which every person lives in a vibrant and healthy community. Membership provides access to monthly briefings, policy development conversations, and curated newsletters to keep you and your organization informed. Take advantage of a 20 percent off discount on membership through the summer and learn more about joining LOCUS <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/join-locus/">here</a>!

Building the stack: Approaches to building small scale and Missing Middle housing webinar recap

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On Thursday, June 5th, LOCUS and Smart Growth America kicked off the “Building the Stack” webinar series, a series of conversations with real estate developers and community partners focused on demystifying how to finance and build high interest projects, with the first webinar on utilizing the federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive to build housing.
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The Building the Stack series is designed to dig into the challenges with developing key project types, explore real case studies, and hear from a variety of stakeholders about their experience developing and financing these projects. With Congress poised to extend the federal Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentive, it is an important time for developers and communities to revisit successful uses of the OZ tool in its first iteration from across the country. Attendees heard from Natalie Mason of Capital Square, a developer behind several successful OZ-driven residential projects, Mayor Sharetta Smith of Lima, OH, who built a unique public-private partnership to bring OZ investment to her community, and Robin Schabes, a community development leader working to educate and connect stakeholders to drive OZ investment in Chicago.
<h3>Key takeaways</h3>
Each speaker highlighted the work taking place in the communities they operate in but across the discussion, a few key takeaways emerged:
1. The Opportunity Zone incentive has been a significant community development tool that has brought new investors into community development. Natalie Mason spoke to why the tool works for investors and how it helps fill gaps in project funding, particularly for multifamily residential deals.
2. Rural Opportunity Zones faced structural barriers to OZ investment, including a thinner developer pool, a capital preference for more urban geographies, and community concerns about transparency. Mayor Sharetta Smith spoke to the way that local government actors can help de-risk and spur OZ investment in their communities by seeding the first dollars for projects, doing intentional preparation for OZ investment, and leaning into partnerships with local institutions to support projects.
3. The Opportunity Zone incentive can, and has, delivered high-impact community serving projects. Robin Schabes highlighted impact-focused projects in the greater Chicago area, including the Hope Manor Village project which repurposed vacant lots into supportive housing and married OZ funding with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
4. An extension of the Opportunity Zone incentive is included in the tax bill under consideration in Congress. While the precise details of the extension are not yet solidified, the webinar discussed the parameters of the program as was being discussed at the time. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/subscribe/">Sign up for the LOCUS newsletter</a> to stay tuned for more updates on the extension as they become available.
<h3>Don’t miss the next installment!</h3>
On Thursday, July 24th, join us for a conversation on innovative approaches to housing development. Alternative approaches in financing or project development can be slow to move from one community to another. This conversation will feature leaders championing new models for funding and constructing smart growth-aligned housing types such as co-ops and affordable housing.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xwi-kvzQTzueWUkE293K0g?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=df150c33-1367-4827-a34b-a0628ed585cf#/registration&#8221;]Learn more and register here! [/button]
<h3>Consider joining LOCUS</h3>
Are you a purpose-driven developer or investor? Consider joining Smart Growth America’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/">LOCUS coalition</a>! LOCUS, latin for ‘place’, is a national coalition of real estate developers and investors who advocate for smart growth at the federal level, with occasional work at the state and local levels. LOCUS brings together real estate developers and investors from across the country to change policy and to build neighborhoods that are more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable for America’s future. LOCUS is driven by the vision of a country in which every person lives in a vibrant and healthy community. Membership provides access to monthly briefings, policy development conversations, and curated newsletters to keep you and your organization informed. Take advantage of a 20 percent off discount on membership through the summer and learn more about joining LOCUS <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/locus/join-locus/">here</a>!

Opportunity Zones

Webinars

Building the stack: Opportunity Zones for residential development webinar recap

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Smart Growth America’s Champions Institute successfully finished its 2025 cohort in June. Together, we worked with local elected officials from 10 states to build knowledge and skills around Complete Streets, downtown revitalization, and other local initiatives that create places where families can be active together and live healthier lives. Demonstrating leadership and a commitment to creating change, these champions will now work to deploy local action plans developed as part of the program. 
Smart Growth America (SGA) selected 14 local officials from across 10 states to participate in the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/meet-the-2025-champions-institute-cohort/">2025 Champions Institute</a>. They included mayors, city council members, and county board members. Major cities like Nashville, TN as well as smaller communities such as Lake City, SC were represented, signifying the fact that Complete Streets can be adopted in places of any size or background. This program, supported by CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, aims to build capacity among local elected officials who are looking to adopt and implement a Complete Streets approach.
Participants took part in a series of virtual sessions to build capacity and increase skills around areas necessary to adopt and implement Complete Streets. These included expert presentations on topics such as policy, design, and zoning and opportunities to get their hands dirty with activities on messaging and community engagement. Happening in parallel to the virtual sessions, each participant received the opportunity to work with a member of SGA staff on developing an action plan to create a strategy to improve community design back home.
<h2>Creating action for change</h2>
One of the cornerstones of the Champions Institute is the action plan created by each participant throughout the program. This action plan aims to be a roadmap for how local elected officials can begin implementing strategies they learned in the virtual sessions to address a known challenge in their own community. In the past, Champions Institute participants have adopted policies, implemented street design changes, hosted community workshops, and more.
<h4>Policy drafting and improvements</h4>
A number of the 2025 participants identified policy changes that were needed for their communities to lead to improved implementation of Complete Streets. This includes Complete Streets policy updates in Rochester, MN and incorporating Complete Streets elements into an already in-progress update to a comprehensive plan in Leon County, FL. Some places will be using what they learned in the program to draft a completely new policy such as in Clarksville, TN.
<h4>Changes to Support Biking and Walking</h4>
Several communities will see changes to their streets as a result of the Champions Institute. A project already underway in Clarksville, TN will incorporate more Complete Streets elements to focus on meeting the transportation needs of a growing population. Princeton, NJ could see an expansion of its advisory bike lanes combined with education efforts to improve their use by drivers and bikers alike.
<h4>Engagement and education</h4>
One of the major themes that came from this cohort was the need to communicate the benefits and possibilities of Complete Streets among their colleagues and throughout their communities. Whether it&#8217;s communicating about projects being installed in Lexington, KY or advancing the narrative around biking in Nashville, TN, the 2025 Champions recognized that getting more community members engaged and on board in Complete Streets will only make their efforts more successful. Several participants, including Shawnee, KS, recognized that to do so would mean establishing working coalitions around the topics discussed in the program.
<h2>Inspiring leadership</h2>
Throughout this year’s Champions Institute, participants continuously demonstrated leadership not only around creating safer places to walk, bike, and be physically active, but in their overall vision for their communities. They came together regularly despite busy schedules to share challenges, offer insights and encouragement to their peers, and were willing to consider different perspectives to improve the hard work they do every day. Local leaders such as those that participated in the Champions Institute are critical to creating and maintaining communities that support all members now and in the future, and we look forward to seeing how their creative and tenacious efforts translate into creating safer, healthier communities for all.
The 2025 Champions Institute was made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-PW-24-0080). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. These efforts are part of the CDC’s Active People, Healthy NationSM Initiative that is working to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027.

2025 Champions Institute

Celebrating the 2025 Complete Streets Champions Institute cohort

Screenshot 2025-07-02 at 11.47.59 AM

Massachusetts is advancing bold housing reform—but real progress depends on local action. Our <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MATA-Comms-Report_2025_July2025.pdf">new report</a> highlights how community-based advocacy, supported through Smart Growth America’s equitable development technical assistance program, is helping turn state policy into on-the-ground housing solutions.
Massachusetts is facing a critical housing shortage, with a need for over 200,000 new homes to meet demand. The state has taken bold steps to address this challenge through landmark legislation such as the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities">MBTA Communities Law</a> and the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities">Affordable Homes Act.</a> Because Massachusetts is a <a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/home-rule/download">Home Rule</a> state, the effectiveness of state housing reforms hinges in part on local governments adopting compliant policies. Therefore, turning these ambitious reforms into real, equitable housing opportunities depends on action at the local level.
By partnering with community-based organizations deeply rooted in their neighborhoods, our Massachusetts Equitable Development Technical Assistance (MA TA) helps translate statewide housing reforms into meaningful change on the ground.
<h2>Why local advocacy matters</h2>
While state leadership provides vital direction and funding, the complex work of updating zoning codes, influencing local planning, and mobilizing community support falls to local advocates. Community-based organizations (CBOs) bring essential knowledge, trust, and relationships, especially among historically excluded populations, to this challenging process.
Since 2022, SGA’s MA TA program has resulted in  four partnerships with outstanding organizations across Massachusetts, each working in unique contexts but united by a shared commitment to equitable housing. These trusted local groups bring deep community knowledge, especially in neighborhoods historically excluded from planning processes, and are essential in building support for zoning reform, influencing local decisions, and educating residents.
<a href="https://culturehouse.cc/">CultureHouse</a>: Based in a dense, transit-rich city near Boston, CultureHouse transforms vacant spaces into vibrant neighborhood hubs through creative, community-centered design. With Smart Growth America’s support, CultureHouse enhanced its engagement approach by integrating zoning and land use education, developing accessible materials on housing topics, and refining its community feedback process. These efforts help connect their placemaking work with affordable housing and equitable development goals, empowering residents to participate in shaping their neighborhoods’ futures.
<a href="https://www.westsidelegends.org/">Westside Legends</a>: Founded by two lifelong residents, Westside Legends began as a grassroots initiative focused on homeownership education, community gardens, and local connection in a neighborhood long impacted by systemic disinvestment. Over time, and with technical assistance from SGA, the organization has grown into an emerging affordable housing developer, advancing sustainable, community-driven investment. Their work includes building trust with city officials, developing strategic plans, and exploring innovative funding and sustainable building practices, all aimed at creating lasting wealth and stability for BIPOC residents.
<a href="https://www.lowellalliance.org/">Lowell Alliance</a>: Serving a predominantly immigrant and ethnically diverse community, Lowell Alliance is a relative newcomer to housing and zoning advocacy. Just before partnering with SGA, they engaged hundreds of residents in a grassroots housing campaign that surfaced urgent local challenges such as high rents and overcrowding. With SGA’s support, Lowell Alliance has deepened its understanding of complex housing policies, developed advocacy tools and accessible communications, and built the capacity to influence local housing reforms. This growing platform ensures that the voices of Lowell’s most vulnerable residents help shape the city’s housing future.
<a href="https://www.ywcanewburyport.org/housing-choice-coalition/">Greater Newburyport Housing Choice Coalition</a>: Operating across multiple municipalities near the New Hampshire border, the Greater Newburyport Housing Choice Coalition (GNHCC) coordinates regional efforts to promote inclusive housing policies in a generally higher-income area. Leveraging its broad perspective, GNHCC works to align local zoning with statewide housing mandates and expand multifamily housing opportunities. With SGA’s help identifying zoning barriers and tailoring recommendations, the coalition maintains a sustained and focused push for housing reform, balancing top-down leadership with grassroots engagement.
<h2>Lessons learned and looking ahead</h2>
Through this work, four key lessons have emerged:
<ul>
<li>Strong state leadership sets a foundation, but local engagement drives implementation.</li>
<li>Smart growth principles can and should be embedded across systems and sectors.</li>
<li>Creative, accessible communications are essential to connect complex housing issues to everyday residents.</li>
<li>Supporting trusted community leaders is key to ensuring that ambitious policies translate into equitable, on-the-ground change.</li>
</ul>
Together, Smart Growth America and its partners in Massachusetts are building a future where housing is accessible, inclusive, and connected to the places people call home. As the state continues to lead with bold housing policy, it is these local advocates, empowered with knowledge, tools, and trusted relationships, who will bring that vision to life.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MATA-Comms-Report_2025_July2025.pdf&#8221;]Read the full report for more on our work together! [/button]

Massachusetts

SGA technical assistance

Bridging policy and community: How Smart Growth America’s Massachusetts Technical Assistance Program is empowering local housing advocacy

Clyde-OH

Clyde, Ohio is proof that communities of all sizes can have a strong Complete Streets Policy. Starting with just a few champions focused on public health improvements and increased mobility for Clyde’s large population of individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, Clyde passed a strong policy backed by a dedicated coalition.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] This story is one of three features pulled from the Best Complete Streets Policies Report 2025. Profiling three communities with some of the strongest policies, each story goes into detail about how that specific policy was developed, why it scored so highly, and how everyone involved navigated the barriers on the way to adoption. 
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/&#8221;]Read the full report here. [/button] 
[/alert]
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Clydes-CS-Policy-Score_2025.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-104078" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Clydes-CS-Policy-Score_2025.png" alt="" width="800" height="548" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Clydes-CS-Policy-Score_2025.png 1662w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Clydes-CS-Policy-Score_2025-300x205.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>
<h2>Part I: Background</h2>
A rural city in northwest Ohio of just over 6,000, Clyde’s a small place with a big identity. With an official <a href="https://www.arborday.org/our-work/tree-city-usa">“Tree City USA” designation</a> from the National Arbor Day Foundation, Clyde has long been committed to green infrastructure. The city has a large population of individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, thanks to local company <a href="https://www.sandcoind.com/">Sandco</a>, who helps with job training and placement. This makes it even more critical that the city’s infrastructure finds ways to support every community member. When Justin LaBenne, city manager, was approached about individual concerns regarding mobility, he realized that the problem was much larger than a single story. He knew it was time to revamp Clyde’s streets and the policies that support them so that all residents could access sidewalks, parks, grocery stores, or water fountains. The result? A Complete Streets policy that is anything but small.
<h2>Part II: Road to adoption</h2>
Complete Streets came on Clyde’s radar when Laura Bogard, Creating Healthy Communities Program Coordinator at Sandusky County Public Health, approached Justin LaBenne with the idea of creating a Complete Streets Policy. LaBenne quickly realized that such a policy could be a solution for the safety and access concerns he was hearing from residents. Armed with Sandusky County’s Creating Healthy Communities grant funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the two put together a team to draft and pass the policy.
Clyde’s motto throughout this process was finding creative solutions for a small city. That started with forming a coalition representing multiple interests across the community, including the economic development director, residents, and representatives from the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, Mobility Management, Habitat for Humanity, the Health Department, and the Sandusky County Regional Commission. Bogard led the charge, using her public health background to show the importance of green space and walkable streets. LaBenne believes that the key to action is “having people on the steering committee that are willing to guide the policy and take action.” The committee wasn’t looking for glory in passing this policy – they just knew it was the right thing to do. A policy would make sure these changes supported a long-term vision and were sustained for years to come.
The coalition formed in December 2022 and met throughout 2023, culminating in the passage of the Complete Streets Resolution in December 2023. With such a small community, the policymakers had to find ways to develop language that was appropriate for Clyde. They had a lot of back-and-forth with residents and the city council, making sure that all voices were heard and reflected in the policy. The coalition worked hard to balance addressing concerns around new ideas with finding ways for the policy to support a vision for a brighter future. It was this can-do attitude and willingness to fight for what would work that pushed Clyde’s policy to approval both by the city council and community members.
Support from Sandco on identifying residents’ mobility struggles and offering solutions within the Complete Streets framework made the engagement and approval process smoother. They were eager for their clients to be able to access more of downtown Clyde through streetscape updates. The coalition was also eager to use this as an opportunity to capture the lived experience of all community members and have it inform the eventual policy. Throughout 2023, the Complete Streets Steering Committee conducted walk audits across Clyde, ensuring that community members recognized how the policy could support the potential changes they needed.
<h2>Part III: What makes this policy great </h2>
Clyde’s policy opens with a <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-element-1/">clear vision</a> to implement a Complete Streets policy. They go above and beyond in naming street users they intend to benefit, listing “pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, transit and school bus riders, delivery and service personnel, freight haulers, and emergency responders…”
While Clyde is a small city, they made no excuses in their dedication to prioritizing <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-element-2/">underinvested and underserved</a> users throughout their policy. They list a number of users to prioritize, including cyclists, youth, older adults, and those with limited mobility, physical challenges, or limited access to a personal vehicle. They even define design features they hope to implement in the future, including reachable buttons, wheelchair-friendly sidewalks, and more median crossings.
Their policy specifies the need to <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-element-7/">mitigate unintended consequences</a> for certain users, which they will track through extensive community involvement. This includes a long list of strategies, such as public comment opportunities at Complete Streets Steering Committee meetings, walk audits, community surveys, and educational opportunities for the public, like bicycle rodeos and youth traffic safety events. Coupled with their extensive short- and long-term performance measures that cover items such as infrastructure improvements, public health, connectivity, and community engagement, Clyde’s policy never falters in their commitment to turning “roads into people-oriented spaces and increasing mobility options for all.”
<h2>Part IV: Putting the policy into practice</h2>
Though Clyde’s resolution only passed recently, Bogard and LaBenne are already seeing wins. They’ve been able to use more Creating Healthy Communities funding for three upcoming projects, all of which will paint crosswalks, add curb cuts and streetlights, and improve the Clyde pedestrian experience. These improvements are all in line with the new <a href="https://issuu.com/designing_local/docs/2024.04.17_clyde_downtown_plan_book">Downtown Clyde Revitalization Plan</a>. Sandco has also been identifying projects across Clyde that may help improve mobility and access, including new bike racks, more ramps, increased bus stops, and accessible parking. With the new community engagement strategies outlined in the Complete Streets policy, Bogard and LaBenne can hear what community members need most.
While rallying community members to volunteer their time has been difficult, Bogard and LaBenne continually reach out to Clyde locals and invite those with lived experiences to give their input. This has meant recruiting from all spaces—when a resident complains that their jogging path is impeded by bumpy sidewalks, tree branches, or a lack of curb cuts, LaBenne invites them to work on Complete Streets implementation.
With limited funds, larger-scale projects have been difficult to implement. Big streetscape projects are currently cost-prohibitive, but LaBenne hopes for these larger projects down the line. They also have plans for speed ramps near the Whirlpool Corporation facility and concrete barriers downtown along streets with wide turns. LaBenne knows that even small wins can make big differences for Clyde residents. With or without a policy, they were going to make a more liveable, and safer community, but the strong Complete Streets policy has certainly contributed to the changes that have been made.
“Success is when I can finally see people that I know have had struggles actually get to where they’re trying to go.” — Justin LaBenne, Clyde City Manager
<h2>Part V: Lessons learned</h2>
It can start with one. With Bogard as a champion for Complete Streets across Sandusky County, Clyde had the spark they needed. Once LaBenne was on board, the Complete Streets Coalition could navigate the policymaking process with confidence. Sometimes, it just takes one person to spearhead the process and believe in the mission to see success in the end.
Listen to community members. With stakeholders from various backgrounds, Clyde was able to learn about what issues were important to local residents. By taking their time, hosting walk audits, and educating community members about what Complete Streets are, Clyde was able to pass a policy that accurately represented the community’s vision. This also built support for the implementation of future street design changes, building momentum for these issues across Clyde.
One size does not fit all. Every community has its own personality, and a good Complete Streets policy must reflect that. With a large elderly and disabled population, Clyde knew their focus needed to be slow-moving traffic, accessible sidewalks, and a policy that could be implemented by a city of their size. They had to pave the way to their own policy, not copy what larger, urban cities have done.
<hr />
Thank you to Justin LaBenne, Clyde City Manager, and Laura Bogard, Creating Healthy Communities Program Coordinator at Sandusky County Public Health, for their time and expertise in producing this case study.

Case Study

Best Complete Streets Policies

Best Complete Streets Policies of 2025

Clyde, OH: The small city championing big ideas (Best Complete Streets Policies 2025)

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Nashville has passed multiple Complete Streets policies over the past fifteen years, improving them with each iteration. The Complete Streets policy passed by the city in 2024 is a testament to their efforts and could bolster the city’s progress in the years to come. Nashville shows how cities already making strides on Complete Streets can take their efforts further by refining and updating their policies.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] This story is one of three features pulled from the Best Complete Streets Policies Report 2025. Profiling three communities with some of the strongest policies, each story goes into detail about how that specific policy was developed, why it scored so highly, and how everyone involved navigated the barriers on the way to adoption. 
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/&#8221;]Read the full report here. [/button] 
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<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nashvilles-CS-Policy-Score_2025.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-104073" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nashvilles-CS-Policy-Score_2025.png" alt="" width="800" height="609" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nashvilles-CS-Policy-Score_2025.png 1646w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nashvilles-CS-Policy-Score_2025-300x229.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>
<h2>Part 1: Background</h2>
Nashville has had the goal of creating safer streets for years, but their case shows the importance of persistence and continual improvement. Nashville’s first Complete Streets policy <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/nashville-mayor-signs-executive-order/">was adopted in 2010</a>, which was then <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/metro-clerk/legal-resources/executive-orders/mayor-megan-barry/mb031">amended in 2016</a>. While these earlier policies had room for improvement, Nashville used them to demonstrate its commitment and vision to changing the status quo. In addition to creating foundational documents that support safe streets, Nashville has worked to create tangible improvements. For example, in 2022-2023 <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/nashville-tn-csla/">Nashville participated</a> in Smart Growth America’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/complete-streets-leadership-academies-report/">Complete Streets Leadership Academy</a>, where they implemented safety interventions on state-owned routes. They have also recently passed a new transit referendum to fund continued street design changes.
When the new mayor came into office in January 2024, he wanted to put his own stamp on the city’s transportation future. Nashville’s New Complete Streets policy passed relatively quickly and built on the policies, design changes, and efforts that took place before it took effect on January 17, 2024. This new policy embodies a strong commitment to Complete Streets and addresses some areas that previous policies lacked.
<h2>Part 2: Road to adoption</h2>
Nashville’s current Mayor, Freddie O’Connell is a champion for Complete Streets and has supported improved transportation throughout his career, including serving on the board for Nashville’s Metropolitan Transit Authority. It was not a surprise when he confirmed this commitment with an updated Complete Streets policy just a few months after taking office.
Since it came in the form of an Executive Order, the Complete Streets policy did not require significant political negotiations or a council vote. However, passing the policy so quickly presented challenges since the administration had to review previous policies and other materials to make sure the new policy aligned with the city’s master plan. This was especially demanding since it took place during the early days of the new administration, a time when there are numerous competing priorities. The administration also had to balance the need for including precise and strong policy language with the goal of moving quickly and beginning working on Complete Streets as fast as possible.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] The pros and cons of executive orders: The fact that a mayor can create a Complete Streets policy via executive order means that they can do it quickly and use whatever language they choose. However, it also means that these policies are relatively easy to overturn when a new administration takes over. It is important that Complete Streets policies and actions last beyond political timelines so jurisdictions should adopt the strongest and most binding policies and language possible.[/alert]
By the time the 2024 Complete Streets policy was created, Nashville had some implementation experience under its belt in the form of both permanent and quick-build projects. This helped identify what types of tools would be helpful for improving the implementation process, which were embedded in the Complete Streets policy and the subsequent <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/NDOT-Complete_Streets_Implementation_Guide.pdf?ct=1713458758">Complete Streets Implementation Guide</a> adopted later that year.
<h2>Part 3: What makes this policy great</h2>
Nashville’s new policy effectively lays out project selection criteria and incorporates community data within that process—prioritizing underinvested communities and areas that have high rates of fatalities and injuries.
In recent years, Nashville has seen a significant increase in the rate of pedestrian fatalities. And evidence suggests that fatalities and injuries disproportionately affect underinvested communities in Nashville. For example, African Americans make up about 25% of the population of Nashville, but account for over 35% of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries in the last 5 years. Incorporating community data into project selection will help ensure that Nashville’s efforts reach the areas of highest need.
“To facilitate this, NDOT shall develop a project prioritization tool based on a point system to prioritize projects that improve safety and increase multimodal level of service for the most vulnerable communities.” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Executive Order 045: Green and Complete Streets Policy
Using strong, binding language regarding vulnerable and underserved communities rather than vague and suggestive language also makes Nashville’s policy stand out. And laying out specific steps for how that prioritization will happen, including using data to develop an informed community engagement plan, makes the policy much more likely to have an impact.
Nashville’s policy provides guidance for effective implementation. This characteristic makes it a valuable tool for making tangible changes within the community. In particular, their commitment to providing training for transportation staff and addressing barriers to community engagement set this policy apart. The accompanying implementation guide provides additional support and guidance.
“We really wanted to make sure that there was practical and direct language, so it would be a tool for us to craft policies around successful implementation.” — Justin Cole, Transportation Planner Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure
<h2>Part 4: Putting the policy into practice</h2>
Nashville’s new and improved policy is another important step on its path to safer streets and healthier communities. It reaffirms some of the practices and procedures the city was following and adds some essential new elements.
For example, the new project selection criteria means that projects that feature the Complete Streets approach are more likely to receive funding and support. Additionally, the “project life cycle” tool in <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/NDOT-Complete_Streets_Implementation_Guide.pdf?ct=1713458758">Nashville’s Complete Streets Implementation Guide</a>, which was developed to support the policy, has allowed them to ensure Complete Streets considerations and principles are implemented from the start of a project rather than added as an afterthought.
The city has also identified some obstacles and is working to address them, such as updating engineering standards to reflect its commitment to Complete Streets. They’ve also recognized that the same approach does not work on every street, and are working to develop specific street typologies so that the characteristics of the existing infrastructure are considered within the Complete Streets approach. The city also partnered with Smart Growth America to host <a href="https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/projects/complete-streets">a webinar series about Complete Streets implementation</a> for city staff, other relevant stakeholders, and the general public.
Nashville’s Complete Streets efforts will receive a major boost from its <a href="https://transit.nashville.gov/">Choose How You Move program</a>. Funded by a new sales tax approved by voters in November 2024, this will support the installation of over 80 miles of sidewalks, over 50 miles of <a href="https://transit.nashville.gov/pages/service">all-access corridors</a>, updated signals at nearly 600 intersections, and the implementation of Complete Streets projects along approximately 40 miles of roadway.
“We wanted to get away from the idea of a complete street as a thing, but as an approach, so that every decision that we make, no matter how small or large, is consistent with that approach.” — Justin Cole, Transportation Planner, Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure
<h2>Part 5: Lessons learned</h2>
Build on your foundations and continually improve. Nashville’s new Complete Streets policy did not emerge from a vacuum. Instead, it was based on the previous policies and aligned with other complementary efforts such as Vision Zero. However, the new policy addressed important gaps that were missing or weak in earlier policies. Complete Streets policies are not a one-time action. Instead, jurisdictions should constantly seek to refine and improve them based on progress and impacts.
Action-oriented words speak louder. Nashville recognized the need to use their policy not only as a proclamation of a commitment to Complete Streets policy but as a tool for implementation. Focusing on practical language that requires practitioners to create processes and standards leads to policies that move from the page into practice.
Give yourself tangible tools for success. Nashville realized that they needed standards, procedures, and guidelines so that Complete Streets are implemented as a process rather than an attribute of a single project. As a crucial first step, they created their Complete Streets Implementation Guide in tandem with their Complete Streets policy.
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Thank you to Justin Cole, Transportation Planner at the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure, for his time and expertise in producing this case study.
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Nashville, TN: Building on the foundation (Best Complete Streets Policies 2025)

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San Antonio’s Complete Streets Policy is the result of a year of deep collaboration among partners, including a coalition of dedicated Complete Streets champions. By working closely together to build consensus among community members and partners, the city updated its previous policy to better address the community’s needs with the necessary structure that can lead to improvements in how streets are built and maintained. The shared purpose of improving safety and comfort for all helped to maintain the momentum this robust team needed to pass a strong policy that scored very high according to our framework.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] This story is one of three features pulled from the Best Complete Streets Policies Report 2025. Profiling three communities with some of the strongest policies, each story goes into detail about how that specific policy was developed, why it scored so highly, and how everyone involved navigated the barriers on the way to adoption. 
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/&#8221;]Read the full report here. [/button] 
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<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/San-Antonios-CS-Policy-Score_2025-1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-104069" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/San-Antonios-CS-Policy-Score_2025-1.png" alt="" width="800" height="575" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/San-Antonios-CS-Policy-Score_2025-1.png 1700w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/San-Antonios-CS-Policy-Score_2025-1-300x216.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>
<h2>Part 1: Background</h2>
San Antonio first passed a Complete Streets policy in 2011, but there was frustration that the policy did not easily or consistently lead to the outcomes it promised, especially as pedestrian and cyclist crashes and fatalities increased (<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/rankings/">San Antonio is the 25th most dangerous metro area for pedestrians</a>).
Inspired by peer cities like <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/el-paso-from-good-intentions-to-great-policy/">El Paso</a> and <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/tucson-complete-streets-is-about-more-than-pavement/">Tucson</a> that had recently passed high-scoring policies, San Antonio decided to revise its Complete Streets policy. The revised policy included an updated system for <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-element-9/">prioritizing proposed infrastructure projects</a>, which now assigns points (or priority) to proposed projects that increase safety for all road users and multimodal transportation options.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;]Since San Antonio’s 2011 policy, new standards have been developed, including the National Complete Streets Coalition’s updated Policy Framework and CityHealth Complete Streets Policy Framework. The San Antonio Complete Streets Coalition pointed to these new standards as a reason for the city to upgrade its policy and the frameworks helped guide the city in its update.[/alert]
“It was too long since we had first adopted our Complete Streets policy, and all of us were hungry for some clear direction on how we’re creating safer, healthier, more equitable, resilient streets in our city,” said Joey Pawlik, Executive Director of ActivateSA. “There’s unprotected, disconnected bike lanes, and San Antonio is heating up, it’s extremely hot in the summers. We need a clear direction on how we’re remaking our largest public spaces in our city.” &#8211; Joey Pawlik, Executive Director of ActivateSA
<h2>Part 2: Road to adoption</h2>
In 2023, <a href="https://activatesa.org/">ActivateSA</a>, a local tactical planning initiative and think-tank, assembled the San Antonio Complete Streets Coalition: a group of local, regional, and national champions whose missions would all be advanced by the city improving its policy. This multi-sector coalition included representation from disability rights groups, active transportation organizations, public health agencies, and environmental organizations, as well as support from the American Heart Association staff who had previously supported the creation of <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/el-paso-from-good-intentions-to-great-policy/">El Paso’s Complete Streets policy</a>. ActivateSA, leading the San Antonio Complete Streets Coalition, approached the city about updating the policy. The city was already working on its <a href="https://sabikenetwork.com/">Bike Network Plan</a> and <a href="https://www.sa.gov/Directory/Departments/Transportation/Initiatives/Vision-Zero/News/Revolutionizing-Road-Safety">Vision Zero updates</a>, and with the spark from the coalition, began to update the Complete Streets policy as well.
In early 2024, the city transportation department rewrote the policy based on current best practices and lessons learned from peer cities. Throughout this process, the city transportation team convened a recurring partner group that included the San Antonio Complete Streets Coalition and fourteen city departments. The partner group’s detailed review of the updated policy (at times discussing the draft line by line) ensured the policy met the needs of all road users, including those at greatest risk for injury or death. Partners also worked to ensure that the city departments responsible for construction and maintenance of the new infrastructure, such as the City Attorney’s office and Public Works, were involved in the policy revision process. The partner group worked to build support for the updated policy, including hosting town halls to spread awareness on the policy updates to the public, and coalition leaders meeting individually with community groups to address any concerns. The coalition educated city council members on the updated policy before the policy came to their desks for their signature, allowing them to highlight the benefits of the updated policy to decision makers.
<h2>Part 3: What makes this policy great</h2>
One of the strengths of San Antonio’s Complete Streets policy is the commitment to serving all San Antonians, including those who have been historically excluded from transportation discussions in the past. This is apparent <a href="https://www.saspeakup.com/Customer/File/Full/9920bf4d-e27d-45eb-bc2e-0dec179654f5">throughout the policy</a>. However, San Antonio’s policy goes beyond a mere vision statement by using localized community data to prioritize projects based on road user data. The policy also calls for the creation of a Technical Review Task Force, which is responsible for reviewing future policy changes, policy updates, and determining if the city is meeting its stated performance measures.
As part of its commitment to ensure meaningful improvements and outcomes, the city’s policy also includes actions to mitigate the potential unintended effects of Complete Streets infrastructure on rising living costs. The policy calls on departments from across the city to work together to “thoroughly consider measures to preserve housing affordability and increase new affordable housing options,” tying land use and transportation planning together.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;]Safety is a central part of Complete Streets, but to really support people walking, biking, and using transit, the streets need to be comfortable as well. San Antonio’s policy goes above and beyond by also including comfort, particularly in a subtropical climate, as a central goal of the policy which reads: “To meet Complete Streets goals, the city must make different modes of transportation possible and safe in multiple types of weather including the extreme heatwaves, flash floods and torrential downpours, and hailstorms that occur throughout the year. While striving to make all modes of travel safe and comfortable, the city strives to address the ways the natural and built environment can coexist and serve San Antonians.”[/alert]
<h2>Part 4: Putting the policy into practice</h2>
Early signs suggest that the city is already translating the policy into action. In May 2025, the San Antonio City Council approved the creation of a <a href="https://www.sa.gov/Directory/News-Releases/City-Council-Approves-Creation-of-Multimodal-Transportation-Commission-to-Support-Safer-Streets">multimodal transportation commission</a> as required by the Complete Streets policy. The city is currently updating its Design Guide Manual to set standards for designing Complete Streets based on current best practices. The city is currently updating its Design Guide Manual to set standards for designing Complete Streets based on current best practices. The city is also developing a project prioritization tool, integrating existing community-based data. New projects will also include performance measures to track progress, including tracking any changes in the number and rate of road injuries or fatalities, improvements in comfort for all road users, and the number of infrastructure improvements constructed as a result of this policy.
<h2>Part 5: Lessons learned</h2>
Build a multi-sector, robust, engaged coalition, including decision makers and elected officials who will implement the policy as well as the broader community. The strength of this policy comes from people and groups with varying perspectives and needs working together to ensure the policy meets everyone’s goals. By including community stakeholders as well as representatives from relevant government departments, the policy has broad support and can be more easily and effectively implemented.
Get to a large consensus through small conversations. Building and maintaining a coalition is not easy, and including everyone’s input in a policy update takes a lot of work. In addition to monthly meetings, ActivateSA and other coalition organizers made sure to have smaller, more personal conversations with partners and coalition members to understand the why behind different perspectives. Reaching out to individuals who may not have been able to speak up in larger meetings made sure their voices were not just heard but that they were included.
Use existing momentum, pointing to peers and standards along the way. This policy update started with the coalition pushing the city to revisit their old work. With peer cities such as El Paso passing Complete Streets policies and getting recognition (<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/the-best-complete-streets-policies-2023/">including in the 2023 Best Complete Streets Policies Report</a>), San Antonio was sparked to meet and even exceed their progress. With the support of the San Antonio Complete Streets Coalition, dedicated city transportation staff, and American Heart Association support, they had the tools to do so.
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Thank you to Zan Marshall and Isaac Levy, Senior Transportation Planners at the City of San Antonio and Joey Pawlik, Executive Director of ActivateSA, for their time and expertise in producing this case study.

San Antonio, Texas: A coalition that leads to change (Best Complete Streets Policies 2025)

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Previous editions of the Best Complete Streets Policies report have spotlighted the nation’s leading policies, recognizing community achievements, and providing positive examples for other places. Outcomes from some of these former, top-ranked policies, several years after adoption, reveal compelling evidence of the impacts of Complete Streets policies.
[alert type=&#8221;info&#8221;] 
This case study, highlighting some of the top-ranked policies from previous years, is part of the Best Complete Streets Policies Report 2025, which ranks the top Complete Streets policies passed in 2023 and 2024. 
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/best-complete-streets/&#8221;]Read the full report here.[/button] 
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<h1>Howard County, Maryland</h1>
In 2023, the highest scoring Complete Streets policy and first to receive a perfect score (100/100) was <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/howard-county-md-a-collaborative-effort-to-create-complete-streets/">Howard County, Maryland</a>. Howard County’s policy was adopted in 2019 after community organizations, county staff, and elected officials joined forces through their shared vision to make safe transportation for all people a reality. That collaborative spirit has persisted through partnerships with Maryland DOT and local jurisdictions, particularly demonstrated through their participation in <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/making-maryland-safer-protecting-all-road-users-with-complete-streets/">Smart Growth America’s 2024 Complete Streets Leadership Academy</a>. This initiative resulted in the installation of a quick-build demonstration project that replaced the rightmost lane on a wide four-lane highway with a multi-use path for pedestrians and bikers. The quick-build joins Howard County’s impressive list of implemented <a href="https://www.howardcountymd.gov/transportation/complete-streets-infrastructure-improvement-projects">Complete Streets Infrastructure Improvement Projects</a> that have been given life thanks to their strong policy.
<h1>El Paso, Texas</h1>
Another city with a high-scoring policy (96/100) from our 2023 report, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/el-paso-from-good-intentions-to-great-policy/">El Paso, Texas</a>, has made significant strides toward its Complete Streets goals through numerous partner programs. The city’s residents and officials were motivated to create the El Paso Complete Streets Coalition by rising concerns, which were in part due to street designs that limited community members’ ability to reach important destinations such as grocery stores, and medical care without a car or get regular physical activity. The city also created complementary policies, such as their <a href="https://www.elpasotexas.gov/assets/Documents/CoEP/Capital-Improvement/Safe-Routes-to-School/COEP-Safe-Routes-to-Schools-Action-Plan-August-2024-compressed.pdf">2024 Safe Routes to School Action Plan</a>, which utilizes Complete Streets Design guidance to improve pedestrian crossings for areas around school zones through <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/instagram/el-paso-community-unites-for-art-project-to-promote-safety-around-local-schools">community painting days</a>. The El Paso Complete Streets policy stood out for its emphasis on prioritizing underinvested communities by “going to the people,” an emphasis that has guided and shaped the success of the city’s implementation process.
<h1>Des Moines, Iowa</h1>
Looking a bit further back to the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/the-best-complete-streets-policies-of-2018/">2018 Best Complete Streets Policies</a> report, Des Moines, Iowa came in second place for their policy (87/100). Similar to El Paso, Des Moines stood out for its emphasis on historically underserved communities. Since the policy was passed, local leaders focused on areas identified by the city’s metropolitan planning organization, specifically working through schools to expand Complete Streets projects. In 2024, <a href="https://www.dsm.city/departments/engineering_-_division/projects.php">numerous construction projects broke ground</a>, including a bridge replacement that features bike lanes and sidewalks, riverside trail improvements, and many new sidewalk constructions. Initial project emphasis on highest need areas allowed for Des Moines to get the ball rolling on widespread Complete Streets projects. This strategy may have played a role in the city ranking as the 5th safest city for pedestrians according to Smart Growth America’s 2024 release of <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design/">Dangerous by Design</a>, a significant improvement from their ranking in the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/dangerous-by-design-2021-report/">2021</a> report as the 24th safest metropolitan area.
<h1>Takeaways</h1>
The examples of these three cities offer different lessons about following through and implementing Complete Streets. One important commonality is that they all continued the expansion of their road safety efforts by applying for funding. In the past two years, they all received a <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A">Safe Streets and Roads 4 All (SS4A) grant</a>, securing federal support for the continuation of Complete Streets programming and implementation. And success can breed success. A strong Complete Streets policy that results in more action through implemented projects and programs can have more success attracting attention and funding support for future endeavours. When policy meets action, communities can build better, safer, and more complete streets.

Past top Complete Streets policies: Where are they now? (Best Complete Streets Policies 2025)

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Earlier this month, Smart Growth America convened its <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/meet-the-2025-culture-and-community-network/">Culture and Community Network</a> in Seattle, bringing together teams from metropolitan planning organizations across the country. These teams are part of a seven-month, cohort-based learning program, funded through the generous commitment of the Kresge Foundation. This program supports regional governments exploring arts, culture, and creativity for deeper engagement and improved community outcomes.
The Seattle gathering, held in conjunction with the National Association of Regional Councils’ Annual Conference, was a key milestone in the cohort’s journey. Over two days of immersive learning and exchange, participants built relationships, explored creativity and culture as a means of connection, and examined what is possible when planning processes are designed with intention and imagination.
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-104091" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/group-photo-3-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
<h2>Grounding in community resilience</h2>
The convening opened with a site visit to Seattle’s Chinatown–International District, where arts and culture have long served as tools of resistance, resilience, and organizing. Through community-led storytelling, public art, and cultural preservation, residents have influenced development, pushed back against displacement, and built long-term vision and power.
This visit—led by artist and activist Scott Oshima and featuring An Huynh and Naomi Saito from the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda), Vivian Chan and Wren Wheeler from the Wing Luke Museum, and Tiernan Martin from the City of Seattle—highlighted how government agencies show up not just as decision-makers, but as collaborators. In response to community frustration over past top-down planning efforts—particularly around Sound Transit’s proposed light rail expansion—the city has taken steps toward a more collaborative, trust-building approach. This shift includes elevating community-rooted leadership within city government, such as a former SCIDpda board member now working in a city role, and prioritizing long-standing community visions over new planning processes.
<h2>Embodiment, risk, and reflection</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-104090 alignright" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/applied-theatre-2-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="378" height="252" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/applied-theatre-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/applied-theatre-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/applied-theatre-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/applied-theatre-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/applied-theatre-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 378px) 100vw, 378px" />In one session, participants were introduced to embodied techniques—creative, movement-based practices that use the body as a tool for reflection and expression. Marc Weinblatt of the Mandala Center for Change introduced methods including applied sociometry, image theatre (sculptor/clay exercises), and forum theatre, which help participants visualize power dynamics, practice empathy, and explore multiple perspectives in real time. These techniques aimed to illuminate how to bring a more human-centered approach to planning and engagement work, allowing participants to process complex challenges not just intellectually, but physically and emotionally—building trust, insight, and connection in ways traditional processes often overlook.
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<h2>Cultivating leadership commitment</h2>
In small teams, participants began designing experiments and proposals—scalable actions and ideas to test back home in their agencies. These ranged from developing external partnerships to communications strategies, all grounded in creativity and cultural responsiveness. Teams received direct feedback from Lizzi Weyant and Samyukth Shenbaga, leaders at Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Atlanta Regional Commission, respectively, both of which have been advancing innovative, equity-driven arts and culture strategies in their regions for around a decade.
<h2>Building leadership and capacity for risk</h2>
The second day began with a session, led by Roshani Thakore of the Atlanta Regional Commission, focused on developing internal relationships and champions through transparency, trust, and a shared vision. Participants identified professional risks that each has taken, from incremental changes to bold actions, an exercise that spurred self-reflection around individual and institutional capacity for experimentation and change.  They also engaged in a group exercise of “making the impossible possible,” challenging standard processes while reinforcing the mindset that innovation and problem-solving often begin with seemingly impossible ideas and is built through iteration.
<h2>Creativity beyond the visual</h2>
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-104093" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/oregon-metro-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>The convening’s closing session was led by Gülgün Kayim, Director of Arts &amp; Culture for the City of Seattle, a theater artist, and a long-time leader in integrating artists into public sector work. Kayim challenged the group to move beyond viewing art as “decoration or entertainment,” and to instead embrace it as a means of shifting institutional culture—through deep listening, trust-building, and care-centered engagement.
She emphasized that creative strategies are not superficial add-ons to planning—they are essential tools for cultivating belonging, shifting power, and developing new avenues for repairing relationships between government and communities. Her message was clear: “If you’re going to do the work, do it properly—or not at all.”
<h2>Moving forward: Transforming planning through creativity</h2>
Across the country, regional planning agencies are beginning to explore new ways of working. Visual storytelling, participatory installations, artist residencies, and culturally relevant engagement strategies are making complex planning concepts more accessible and inviting new voices to the table.
Yet, without deeper structural change, such efforts risk remaining surface-level or symbolic. Integrating arts and culture into planning is not about isolated projects—it is about shifting practices, power, and priorities. It requires rethinking how success is defined: from outputs to relationships, from transactions to trust, from efficiency to empathy.
This convening was not just about new tools or strategies; it was about building the courage to imagine differently, the relationships that sustain transformation, and the care needed to make planning more human and just. As the Culture and Community Network continues, these seeds of creativity, trust, and shared purpose will flourish into more responsive and imaginative planning and engagement practices nationwide.

Creativity as strategy, trust as infrastructure: Reflections from the Culture and Community Network convening in Seattle

Arts and Culture

capitol

Last week, the Senate released its version of a comprehensive tax package. In a potentially huge win for community development stakeholders, the bill proposes making several key federal community development tax incentives permanent. While this would be an important win, the bill does not provide new tools to further support key priorities like affordable housing and economic development in the areas that need it most.
Over the past several weeks, the Republican-controlled Congress has continued its work on drafting a sweeping set of changes to the tax code that will shape the future of development and impact smart growth efforts nationwide. The federal tax code serves as a critical vehicle for steering development through incentives such as the <a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-low-income-housing-tax-credit-and-how-does-it-work">Low-Income Housing Tax Credit</a> (LIHTC), the <a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-new-markets-tax-credit-and-how-does-it-work">New Markets Tax Credit</a> (NMTC), and the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/opportunity-zones-for-impact-tell-congress-to-pass-reforms-to-the-federal-opportunity-zone-tax-incentive/">Opportunity Zones program</a>. The near-term fate of these incentives is tied to the passage or failure of the package.
In contrast to the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/red-light-green-light-what-smart-growth-provisions-are-passing-go-in-the-pending-house-tax-legislation/">previously released House version</a>, the Senate bill makes significant strides for community development by making several successful long-standing programs, including LIHTC and NMTC, permanent. However, the bill stops short of expanding the community development toolbox to provide much-needed tools for revitalization and affordable housing development. The Senate draft is not the final product–the differences between the House and Senate versions must be resolved–but it appears unlikely that entirely new provisions will be added to the draft whole cloth. While refinements to the Senate text are likely to continue, it offers the most up-to-date glimpse at what tools will be on the table to finance local development projects, from affordable housing to brownfields remediation, and what types of projects the Republican majority is prioritizing.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/red-light-green-light-what-smart-growth-provisions-are-passing-go-in-the-pending-house-tax-legislation/&#8221;]Need a refresher on the House tax bill? Check out our previous blog. [/button]
<h1>Key credits made permanent</h1>
In the Senate tax bill, the popular and bipartisan LIHTC and NMTC are made permanent, rather than extended for a set number of years. The House bill, by contrast, would have only expanded LIHTC for a few years and did not include any extension of the NMTC. Each of these incentives attracts capital to lower-income communities, either by providing a tax credit to investors who provide funding for the construction of affordable housing or providing a tax credit to investors who make equity investments in community-based development entities, which in turn provide loans and investments to local businesses. Permanence is a major win for the community development community because it provides stability and makes the continued existence of both programs the status quo by eliminating looming sunset dates. Both bills also <a href="https://www.bondbuyer.com/news/senate-finance-bill-shields-tax-exempt-bonds-leaves-salt-debate-for-later">protect tax exemptions for municipal bonds</a>, which are a critical tool <a href="https://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/48fc5ad035ef5f7b882578e7005f7d66/cc45420ef12f69798825793d005e79bc/$FILE/CDFA-Built-by-Bonds.pdf">communities use to finance essential infrastructure</a> like schools, libraries, hospitals, bridges, water management systems, and certain housing projects.
<h1>Mixed bag on Opportunity Zones</h1>
Both the Senate and the House bills doubled down on the Trump-era policy of Opportunity Zones, a tax incentive for certain investments in specific distressed census tracts, by extending the period of time the incentive can be utilized into the future. However, while the House bill provided a short-term extension, the Senate bill seeks to make the program permanent with a cyclical refreshing of the eligible zones for investment. Both bills allow the universe of census tracts designated as Opportunity Zones to be refreshed through a redesignation process, provide enhanced support for OZ investment in rural areas, and add reporting requirements, a longstanding issue many in the OZ and community development space have been eager to see resolved. A House bill provision that would have expanded the OZ incentive to ordinary income up to $10,000 per taxpayer was not included in the Senate version.
While reporting requirements and an extension of the program are compelling, neither bill includes any further incentives for the development of affordable homes through the OZ program, nor includes a LOCUS-proposed provision that would provide a targeted incentive for Opportunity Zone projects located in downtowns in urban and suburban areas or rural mainstreets. While the Senate bill makes critically needed adjustments to rules around the amount of money that must be invested in rehabilitation projects that have previously limited the tool’s use for rehabilitation projects, it only does so for projects in rural places, a significant loss for projects in urban or suburban geographies where the OZ tool’s use for rehab projects will remain limited. By failing to make these adjustments, Congress is missing the opportunity to facilitate more OZ projects that are location-efficient, mixed-income, or primarily rehabilitation.
Smart Growth America believes affordability provisions may still be under discussion. That’s why it’s essential that you <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/ozs/index.html">take this action</a> and tell Congress to include affordability provisions and ensure reporting requirements remain in the final bill.
<h1>Missed opportunities</h1>
Like the House version of the text, the Senate bill also failed to include language creating the new homebuilding incentive proposed by the <a href="https://www.neighborhoodhomesinvestmentact.org">Neighborhood Homes Investment Act</a> and a slew of tax provisions that would incentivize, either implicitly or explicitly, growth in downtowns, main streets, or growth in areas well-connected to essential destinations. Among the provisions left on the cutting room floor was the brownfields tax deduction, which would allow taxpayers to fully deduct the cleanup costs of contaminated property in the year the costs were incurred, and a tax incentive for converting existing vacant and underutilized commercial properties into new housing proposed in the <a href="https://gomez.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3346">Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act of 2025</a>.
<h1>What’s shaping the rest of the process, and where do things go now?</h1>
The passage of the recently released bill is not guaranteed in the Senate, let alone in the narrowly Republican-controlled House. Senators Hawley, Johnson, and Paul are all early obstacles for Republican Majority Leader Thune, who can only lose 3 Republicans on the Senate vote. That narrow margin empowers other members of the Republican caucus in the Senate, who may demand changes that the House Republicans find unacceptable. In addition, Senate Republican leadership is pursuing an unusual accounting mechanism to determine the total cost of the bill that individuals on both sides of the aisle view as a budget gimmick. For now, Republican leaders remain committed to making serious advancements on the bill before July 4th.
As the process continues, there is limited opportunity for entirely new provisions not included in either bill to be added to the text, but there is significant risk of provisions falling out, as well as continued opportunity to engage in pushing for refinements in the text. Ensuring the inclusion of LIHTC expansion and permanence, NMTC permanence, and advocating for adjustments within the OZ program to add an affordability mechanism are all important advocacy points for smart growth champions in the coming weeks.
While the Senate bill does not fully take advantage of the opportunity to expand the community development toolbox and additional advocacy is required, the Senate tax bill would be a significant win for the smart growth community. If passed with the community development provisions as is, the legislation would make an enduring contribution to community development by making the New Markets Tax Credit, the expanded Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and the Opportunity Zones tax incentive permanent.
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<h1>Take action</h1>
As the legislation continues to move forward, it will be critical for stakeholders to advocate for smart growth-aligned tax programs directly to their members, both to protect those already included and to advocate for the addition of programs left on the cutting room floor. Take action in support of the brownfields deduction <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/brownfields-tax-incentive2025/index.html">by clicking here</a>, take action to support the inclusion of reporting requirements and an affordability mechanism in the <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/ozs/index.html">OZ program here</a>, or find contact information for your Members of Congress and reach out to them to advocate directly for <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/the-developers-perspective-tax-priorities-for-smart-growth/">smart growth provisions</a> in the tax bill by using <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members">this link</a>.

The play for permanence: The fate of community development tax provisions in the Senate’s draft tax legislation

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